“The Asian denim market has been a big focus for Kingpins for several years,” said Vivian Wang, Kingpins’ managing director. “Our ultimate goal is to launch a Kingpins China show, but before we do that we need to really know and understand the denim market in China. The China City Tour is our way to meet our Chinese customers face-to-face, to understand what they need and how Kingpins can not only address those needs but help to elevate and evolve the denim industry there.”

The China City Tour will kick off September 19 in Guangzhou before traveling to Hangzhou on September 21 and culminating in Zhengzhou on September 23. Kingpins estimates that, in total, the three stops on the China City Tour are home to approximately 800 brands and jeans manufacturers.

“We selected these cities because they represent the different facets of the Chinese denim and garment industry,” Wang said. Guangzhou is China’s premiere “Denim City” - it is where China’s jeans industry thrives. Hangzhou is a city with a focus on manufacturing women’s sportswear, a hub of denim potential and interest. Just 45-minutes by train from Shanghai, it is also an ideal location to touch base with established and emerging denim brands. Finally, Zhengzhou as a city with many wholesalers and small brands, has high demand for denim but limited denim sourcing options.

The China City Tour format will be similar to other Kingpins events in that it will feature: an invitation-only guest list; a curated selection of denim resources; educational and trend seminars; networking opportunities; and a high level of service for guests and exhibitors. Eventually, the China City Tour will host multiple tours per year to various manufacturing cities throughout China.